My first two mock drafts, I had the Eagles taking Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly, and a guy like Conerly is certainly still in play. But the way the board fell this time, the Chiefs snagged Conerly at pick 31, and if you happened to watch the Super Bowl you can understand why an offensive lineman would be at the top of their list.
Where does that leave the Eagles?
There is still good value along the offensive line at No. 32, with guys like Josh Simmons, Donovan Jackson and Tyler Booker all still on our board. But I’m changing gears and going defensive line for a couple reasons.
Defensive line is all Howie Roseman talks about and this is such a deep group that there’s going to be an opportunity to get an immediate contributor. And for all the talking Roseman does about not drafting for need, Milton Williams’ departure does leave a pretty big hole in the Eagles’ defensive interior.
The Eagles haven’t drafted a Pro Bowler in the second half of the first round – picks 17 through 32 — since Lito Sheppard in 2002. But they hit on Nolan Smith at 30 two years ago and Quinyon Mitchell at 22 last year, and they’re going to have a good chance to keep that streak going this year — if Roseman really does pick at 32.
Even though we have 10 defensive linemen off the board before the Eagles pick at the end of the round, there will still be edges like Nic Scourton, Bradyn Swinson and Landon Jackson and interior linemen like Walter Nolen, Omar Norman-Lott and Tyleik Williams available at 32.
With a day to go before Round 1, let’s take a look at how this might play out.
1. Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami: The journey from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Miami now leads to Nashville, where he becomes the Hurricanes’ first player drafted No. 1 overall since Russell Maryland in 1991 and first quarterback since Steve Walsh in 1989. The Titans have been unsettled at quarterback for much of their existence and despite some success with Marcus Mariota – the second pick in 2015 – and veteran Ryan Tannehill, they haven’t had an elite young quarterback since Steve McNair nearly 20 years ago. Which is the biggest reason they’ve won just five playoff games in the last 25 years. Ward made a huge jump when he transferred from Washington State to Miami. He’s got a live arm, an uncanny ability to make big plays down the field when the pocket breaks down and the brand of toughness that inspires his teammates. The best of a not-so-great quarterback class.
2. Browns: Travis Hunter, WR-CB, Colorado: Whether he’s lining up at receiver or corner, Hunter is a ballhawk who has a terrific feel for all phases of the game and the physical ability to go up and get the football whether it’s coming from his quarterback or the opposing QB. Hunter has the ability to play on either side of the ball from Day 1, and while it’s hard to imagine he can be a regular two-way player in the NFL like he was in college, he will contribute on whatever side of the ball doesn’t become his No. 1 position. The Browns, who’ve won one playoff game since 1995 and coming off a miserable three-win season, just need good players and Hunter can inject some life in this moribund franchise wherever he lines up.
3. Giants: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State: This is only the fourth time the Giants have had a top-three pick since 1978, and the last three have landed them Carl Banks, Lawrence Taylor and Saquon Barkley. So this is a spot where the Giants – who’ve had one winning season since 2017 – can really make a lasting impact on the franchise, and Carter – like Barkley, a Penn Stater – is a beast. He led the country with 24 tackles for loss this past year along with 12 sacks, four pass deflections and two forced fumbles. The Giants are chasing the Eagles right now, and what better way to try and close the gap by adding a pass rusher who could challenge the Eagles’ all-world tackles? The Giants aren’t in the business of drafting elite defensive players in the first round – just two Pro Bowlers in the last 40 years (Jason Pierre-Paul in 2010 and Dexter Lawrence in 2019). Carter is a can’t miss.
4. Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU: Once you get the quarterback you want to build around – and the Patriots did that selecting Drake Maye with the third pick last year – then you do everything you can to find players to put around him that will give him the best chance to succeed. Campbell fits the bill and would become a Day 1 starter at left tackle for Mike Vrabel, whose current No. 1 left tackle on the depth chart is one-time Vikings 6th-round pick Vederian Lowe. You’re going to hear all about Campbell’s short arms – only 33 inches, oh no!!! – but the tape tells the story, and if you can play left tackle at a high level in the SEC you can play left tackle in the NFL. If the Browns or Giants reach for a quarterback and either Hunter or Carter is available, the Patriots would be crazy not to snag one of them. But if they’re off the board, Campbell’s the guy.
5. Jaguars: Mason Graham, DL, Michigan: The Jags need help across the board, but more so on defense, where they ranked 31st in the NFL last year on the way to a four-win season that cost Doug Pederson his job. The Jaguars were brutal against the run last year and over the last 10 weeks of the season allowed over 150 rushing yards per game. Graham is a bit “undersized” at 6-3, 305, but he makes up for it with next-level speed, strength and quickness. Fifth pick is high for an interior lineman. Only nine have gone top-5 since 1998, only Quinnen Williams since 2011. But Graham is a potential star, and he fits exactly what the Jaguars need.
6. Raiders: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri: When you look pass rushers in the AFC West, you’re looking at guys like George Karlaftis, Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack. The Raiders are settled at left tackle with Kolton Miller, their 1st-round pick out of UCLA back in 2018. But right tackle is an issue, and Armand Membou is exactly what they need after allowing a whopping 50 sacks last year. Membou has almost everything you want in an offensive tackle. He’s technically proficient, has terrific power and athleticism, knows how to use his hands, terrific footwork and the toughness you need to play offensive tackle in the NFL. The only red flag is that he’s 6-4, which would make him one of the shorter tackles in the league. But the dude crushed the Combine – a 4.91 at 330 pounds and 31 reps of 225 pounds on the bench. There’s been a lot of chatter about the Raiders taking Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty at this spot, and there’s something to be said for it. Jeanty is by far the best running back in the draft, and the Raiders haven’t really had a running game since Josh Jacobs left for Green Bay. But Membou is an elite blocker – didn’t allow a sack or quarterback hit this past season – and the running back talent will be there later in the draft. You’re not going to find a talent like Membou in the second round.
7. Jets: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State: It’s not easy to run a pro offense without a functional tight end, and the Jets are one of only two teams that hasn’t had a 700-yard tight end since 2012. Their last one was Dustin Keller in 2011. They also haven’t had a top-20 offense since 2015, and this draft has to be about landing a big-time impact offensive weapon, and Warren is the ideal fit for the Jets. Warren had over 100 catches this past year, but he’s an all-around player who will have a huge impact on all facets of the Jets’ offense. He’s a plus blocker, he’s a dangerous runner who had over 200 rushing yards last year on just 26 carries, and he can even throw the football and had three completions last year, including a touchdown pass to running back Nicholas Singleton against Kent State. You don’t see a lot of tight ends drafted this high – just six in the last 25 years, most recently Kyle Pitts in 2021. But Warren is that good and too good for the Jets to pass up.
8. Panthers: Jalon Walker, Edge, Georgia: The Panthers last year had one of the worst defenses of this generation, becoming only the third team since 1980 to allow over 400 yards and 31 points per game. Where do you start? The Panthers have to go best available defensive player here, and there are a handful of good options, but we’ll go with Walker. He’s a little bit of a tweener at 6-1, 245, but he's really got some intriguing potential. Whether he’s at off-ball linebacker or edge he can impact a game in a lot of ways. He’s a super-charged twitched-up pass rusher and a capable run defender. You probably don’t want him on the field for every snap until he adds some size. But he can make an immediate impact on Ejiro Evero’s defense as a rotational piece while getting stronger and carving out a bigger role.
9. Saints: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado: Sanders is a tough one to figure out, and opinions are widely varied on Deion’s kid. But if you get past all the hype and glitz that seemed to define Colorado’s program the last couple years, Sanders is actually a terrific quarterback. He can make all the throws, he’s unusually tough, he’s one of the most accurate college quarterbacks ever and he puts the ball in spots where his receivers can pick up yards after the catch. Sanders made sense for the Saints even before word came down that Derek Carr may need shoulder surgery. Even a healthy Carr is 34 years old and has never won a playoff game. The Saints haven’t had a top-10 pick since 2007, when they took USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis seventh overall. They haven’t taken a 1st-round quarterback since Archie Manning out of Mississippi second overall in 1971. You know new Saints head coach Kellen Moore and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier would love to change that. Sanders is only 6-1 ½, but Moore and Nussmeier just won a Super Bowl with a quarterback who’s 6-1. Sanders makes sense for the Saints in a lot of ways.
10. Bears: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas: The Bears need to get some help up front for Caleb Williams. Last year’s No. 1 pick showed some promise as a rookie – 11 touchdowns and one INT the last seven weeks - but he was also sacked 68 times, the 3rd-most in NFL history (behind David Carr’s 76 in 2002 and Randall Cunningham’s 72 in 1986, when he started only five games). Banks needs some technique work as a pass blocker, but he’s already a big-time run blocker and with his size, athleticism and physicality he has a chance to become a big-time NFL left tackle. The Bears are in the thick of a miserable stretch that’s seen them go 37-63 over the last six seasons and fail to win a playoff game since 2010. The Bears haven’t had a Pro Bowl offensive lineman in seven years, and Banks is a good first step in rebuilding that offensive line and a perennially bad offense.
11. 49ers: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama: Campbell does everything well, can line up in a bunch of different positions, and he’s an intriguing prospect for the 49ers, who lost Dre Greenlaw to the Broncos in free agency (as well as a ton of other key defensive pieces). Campbell can do a lot of the same things that the oft-injured Greenlaw did, and he could team up with four-time Pro Bowler Fred Warner and form a similar 1-2 punch that Greenlaw and Warner gave the 49ers the last six years. He’s an old-school off-ball linebacker with terrific size at 6-3, 235, and he filled the stat sheet this year with 117 tackles, five sacks, an interception, 14 tackles for loss, two pass deflections and two forced fumbles. Campbell is a South Jersey native, growing up in Erial and starting out at Timber Creek before finishing at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He’ll be the 20th 1st-round pick who attended high school in South Jersey, a run that began with the Packers taking Hall of Famer and Moorestown High graduate David Robinson 14th overall in 1963 out of Penn State.
12. Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State: You don’t get a lot of running backs drafted this high. Just Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs in the last seven drafts. But Jeanty is a big-time weapon and the Cowboys are in desperate straits after losing 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle to the Panthers. Their leading returning rusher is return specialist KaVontae Turpin, who had all of 92 yards on 16 carries. They signed Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams, but neither one has averaged more than 3.7 the last two years. Jeanty put up some scary numbers the last couple seasons, rushing for 1,347 yards with 14 TDs and a 6.1 average in 2023 and an absurd 2,601 yards – 4th-most in BCS history - with 29 TDs and a 7.0 average last year. One concern about Jeanty is his workload. His 830 touches since 2022 is a staggering number and you ‘re a little concerned with how long a shelf life he’ll have once he gets to the league.
13. Dolphins: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia: There’s no real consensus whether Starks or South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori will be the first safety off the board and which one will develop into a better pro. Emmanwori had a monster Combine that closed the gap, but the sense is that Starks, with his intelligence and instincts, is still the better prospect over Emmanwori, who’s an athletic freak and maybe the best long-range prospect but possibly not as NFL-ready as Starks. The Dolphins don’t really have much at safety – guys like Ifeatu Melifonwu, Ashtyn Davis, Elijah Campbell and Patrick McMorris don’t really move the needle – and the chance to get a playmaker like Starks might be too much for Dolphins GM Chris Grier to pass up. The 13th pick is high for a safety, but Kyle Hamilton was the 14th pick in 2022, Minkah Fitzpatrick was 11th in 2018, Jamal Adams sixth in 2017, Earl Thomas was 14th in 2010 and Eric Berry fifth in 2010. So if you find the right player, you can really find terrific value with a safety in the top half of the first round.
14. Colts: Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia: The third edge off the board and third Georgia Bulldog, Williams is one of those pass rushers who didn’t have elite production in college but has all the traits in the world to be a big-time NFL edge. Williams never had more than 5.0 sacks in a season in Athens but neither did Nolan Smith when he was at Georgia, and that’s one of the reasons he slipped down to the Eagles, and I’m sure there are a lot of teams who wish they had paid attention to Smith’s traits and not his sack total. The reality is that Georgia defensive linemen are in such a deep rotation that they’re not going to put up huge numbers. But Williams is super twitchy, he’s got terrific pursuit quickness, a big-time first step and that ability to turn speed into power. The Colts need a little bit of everything, but they were 24th in sacks last year, and if Shane Steichen is going to keep his job beyond 2025 they’ve got to find a way to pressure the quarterback, and Williams would be a huge addition in that regard.
15. Falcons: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall: Here’s a stat you won’t believe: The Falcons haven’t had a player with double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley had 15 ½ in his 2016 All-Pro season. They ranked 31st with just 31 sacks last year, they have 18 fewer sacks than any other team over the last five years, and they haven’t had 50 sacks in a season as a team since 1997. Yikes. If you can point to one reason the Falcons haven’t reached the playoffs since 2017, when they lost to the Eagles in the conference semifinals, it’s their almost complete lack of pass pressure in recent years. This draft is loaded with edge talent, and with Carter, Walker and Williams off the board, the Falcons roll the dice on Green, who led the BCS with 17 sacks last year and has all the tools in his body to be an elite pass rusher. Obviously, some off-the-field questions with Green, and that’s the only reason he’ll likely fall this low. But he’s never been convicted – or even charged - with a crime and if the Falcons are comfortable with Green the person, they’re going to love Green the player.
16. Cardinals: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan: Corner might not be the Cards’ biggest need – their secondary was decent last year – but I just can’t see Jonathan Gannon passing up a talent like Johnson. From a pure talent standpoint, Johnson should be a top-10 pick. But there are questions about his health – turf toe cost him half of last season and he’s also dealt with hamstring and shoulder injuries. So that’s a red flag. But a healthy Johnson is an elite cornerback, and if he slides down to the middle of the first round, somebody is going to wind up with a big-time corner. Johnson had nine interceptions in 32 games for the Wolverines, returning three of them for touchdowns. Other than the injuries, there’s nothing not to like about Johnson. He’s got good size at 6-2, 200, he’s got a tremendous understanding of how offenses are trying to attack, he’s sticky in coverage and he’s got some physicality to him as well. History shows that a college injury is rarely a reason not to draft a player, and Johnson could be a steal at 16 for the Fighting Gannons.
17. Bengals: James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee: With four-time Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson’s status up in the air, add the Bengals to the list of teams looking to tap into this deep group of edge rushers. Hendrickson led the NFL with 17 sacks last year and – get this – he’s the only Bengal with eight sacks in a season since Carlos Dunlap in 2019. So if the Bengals do end up trading him, which looks quite possible, the cupboard is going to be bare. Pearce isn’t a perfect prospect. He needs to get stronger. His lack of bend is a concern to some. But the tools are there for him to be a big-time pass rusher. What he lacks in bend he makes up for in his explosiveness getting to the quarterback. He’s exceptional at reading offensive tackles and understanding how they’re trying to beat him, and he’s got some answers. Keep an eye on the Hendrickson situation, but he’s 30 and even if he and the Bengals agree on a deal, it still makes sense to add some pass-rush punch, and Pearce would give them plenty.
18. Seahawks: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas: With D.K. Metcalf now in Pittsburgh and 32-year-old Tyler Lockett no longer in Seattle, the Seahawks have some work to do at wide receiver around Jaxon Smith-Njigba to help out Sam Darnold. They signed Cooper Kupp, but he’ll be 32 in June and hasn’t been elite since 2021, and they added Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but he hasn’t even had 500 yards in a season since 2022 and is now with his fifth team in five years. Golden would solve a lot of issues for Seattle. In his one year at Texas after transferring from Houston, he showed big-play ability with 987 yards, an SEC-leading nine touchdowns and a 17.0 average. But beyond his production in college, there’s that 4.29 he ran at the Combine, a 40 time that NFL scouts drool over. Hunter may be the best receiver in this draft class, but if he's a corner, then Golden may have that honor.
19. Buccaneers: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College: We’ve got ourselves a run on edges, and it’s not surprising considering the pass-rush talent in this draft. Ezeiruaku is the sixth edge off the board and the fourth in the last six picks. When five edges are off the board and you’re still getting a talent like Ezeiruaku, you’ve had yourself a pretty good day. Ezeiruaku finished second in the BCS with 16 ½ sacks this past year and finished his college career with 30 sacks. And any questions about level of competition playing in the ACC were answered with big-time performances at the Combine and especially the Senior Bowl. Ezeiruaku, a South Jersey native who went to Williamstown High School, is a little short for an edge at 6-2, but he makes up for it with outstanding technique, a quick first step and big-time bend. Projects as the first 1st-round pick from Gloucester County since the Vikings took offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie from Woodbury and Miami seventh overall in 2002.
20. Broncos: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona: Courtland Sutton had a nice year in 2024 and has been a decent player for the Broncos since they drafted him in the second round in 2018, but he’s 29 now and unsigned beyond 2025, Marvin Mims has been a disappointment and Sean Payton needs to get Bo Nix another weapon or two. McMillan had three monster seasons for Arizona, averaging 71 catches, 1,141 yards and nine TDs since 2022. His 3,423 yards over the last three seasons is most in the BCS, and that’s elite production. McMillan is a polished route runner, has a great feel for coverages and an innate ability to make difficult and contested catches. Just what the Broncos need.
21. Steelers: Jaxson Dart, QB, Mississippi: Dart is a wild-card in this draft. Could go top-10, could draft down toward the bottom of the first round. But if he’s sitting there at 21, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers passing. We all know about their quarterback situation. Russell Wilson is now a Giant, Justin Fields is now a Jet, Kyle Allen is now a Lion, Aaron Rodgers is still unsigned and Kenny Pickett isn’t walking through that door. So unless you’re a huge Mason Rudolph or Skylar Thompson fan, this is not a good place to be. After spending a year at USC, Dart finished with three seasons at Ole Miss and got better each year, culminating in a fantastic senior year, where he completed 69 percent of his passes, threw for 329 yards per game and had 29 TDs to six INTs. He doesn’t have prototype size at 6-2, 225, but he’s smart, runs through his progressions quickly and adroitly and although he doesn’t have a rocket arm, he makes up for it with uncanny accuracy. The Steelers have drafted just three quarterbacks in the first round in the last half century – Mark Malone 28th overall in 1980, Ben Roethlisberger 11th in 2004 and Pickett 20th in 2022. Wouldn’t be a surprise if they had to that list on Thursday.
22. Chargers: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan: Right now, the Chargers’ TE1 is Tyler Conklin, who had some OK years with the Jets but turns 30 before training camp, has never had more than 621 yards in seven NFL seasons and has averaged below 10 yards per catch in his career. Jim Harbaugh loves big-play tight ends, and Loveland fits the bill. He had 45-for-649 and four TDs playing for Harbaugh at Michigan during the 2023 championship season and had another decent year last year with 56-for-582 and five TDs. This one makes too much sense. Colston looks the part of an NFL tight end at 6-6, 250, and he’s one of those new-age NFL tight ends who can handle the entire route tree, makes catches like a wide receiver and will pick up big yards after the catch. He’s not an elite blocker, but if you’re looking for an NFL-ready offensive weapon for the passing game he’s a terrific option.
23. Packers: Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M: A pass-rush prospect who has everything but production is a tough one to evaluate. Stewart had 4 ½ sacks in his entire college career – 1 ½ in each of the last three seasons – but he’s got such intriguing traits and such a high ceiling he is going to hear his name called somewhere in the late first round or early second round. Stewart is powerful and athletic at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, and has all the elements that make a dangerous pass rusher. He just hasn’t figured out yet how to put it all together. In Green Bay, he can start out as a rotation piece alongside guys like Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare, learn the NFL game and develop his pass-rush plan with a chance to become a dominating player in time.
24. Vikings: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas: The Vikings moved on from older veterans Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore and signed Isaiah Rodgers off the Eagles’ roster, but they could use another top corner alongside Byron Murphy Jr., who made his first Pro Bowl last year. Barron gives them a versatile corner who is probably most comfortable in the slot but can also play outside corner or even safety. Barron ran 4.39 at the Combine, so he can fly, and he’s also one of the smartest players in the draft with a profound understanding of how opposing wide receivers are attacking. The Vikings haven’t had much luck drafting defensive backs in the first round. Lewis Cine, a 1st-round pick in 2022, never started a game for the Vikings and is now with the Eagles. Jeff Gladney, a 1st-round pick in 2020, only played one year and died tragically after they released him. Mike Hughes, a 1st-round pick in 2018, only started seven games before the Vikings traded him. Trae Waynes, a 2015 1st-round pick, had a few OK seasons but wasn’t a special player. You have to go back to Xavier Rhodes – 1st-round pick in 2013 and three-time Pro Bowler – to find a Vikings d-back 1st-round pick that panned out. I like Barron’s odds to end that drought.
25. Texans: Gray Zabel, OL, North Dakota State: Priority No. 1 in Houston is protecting C.J. Stroud, who was sacked 52 times last year – 2nd-most in the league. If Stroud is ever going to pay off on being the second pick in last year’s draft the Texans have to give him a chance. In the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Zabel, the Texans get a polished and versatile offensive lineman who was a college tackle but should be able to step in from Day 1 and play guard for the Texans with the ability to kick out to tackle early in his career. He’s even got some center in him as well. There’s some concern in scouting circles about Zabel’s short arms – just 32 inches – and how that will affect his ability to neutralize opposing pass rushers. But he’s a tough and aggressive lineman who has a chance to be an excellent pro at whatever spot he winds up in.
26. Rams: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State: Columbus has really become the place to find polished, productive, NFL-ready wide receivers, with the last five drafts producing Terry McLaurin, Jameson Williams, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Nijgba and Marvin Harrison (and Parris Campbell, but yeah). After things went sour with Cooper Kupp, the Rams were left with Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell and little else. They added Davante Adams, but he’s 32 now and obviously not the player he once was. So if there’s an elite receiver on the board at 26, it makes a lot of sense for the Rams to go in that direction. Egbuka has good enough size at 6-1, 200 and was consistently productive as part of a deep receiver room, with over 200 catches, nearly 3,000 yards, 24 touchdowns and an impressive 14 yards per catch in four seasons on High Street. Not a burner, but he’s fast enough. Ran 4.46 at his pro day and makes up for the absence of world-class speed with toughness to the ball, a good feel for working defensive backs and comfort across the route tree. Probably mainly a slot in the NFL because of his size and speed, but he has all the tools to be a very good one.
27. Ravens: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon: Ravens go best player available with Harmon, who gives defensive coordinator Zach Orr positional versatility anywhere on the defensive line. Harmon, 6-5, 315 pounds, didn’t put up huge sack numbers – 3 ½ in three years at Michigan State and then 5.0 this past year at Oregon – but he’s a load up front who can stuff the run on early downs from the inside and generate some pass pressure from the outside on third down. The Ravens haven’t drafted a defensive lineman this high since one-time Eagle Haloti Ngata with the 12th pick back in 2006. Ngata is also the last Oregon defensive tackle taken in the first round. Everybody in the AFC North wants to run the ball. These are cold-weather franchises in outdoor stadiums. So you need to be able to stop the run in this division, and Harmon gives you that as well as some juice up the middle to get to the quarterback.
28. Lions: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri: Nobody is more of a “best player available” believer than Lions general manager Brad Holmes, so we’ll give the Lions Burden, who provides Jared Goff with yet another weapon alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs. Burden is the fourth receiver off the board and the first Missouri 1st-round wide receiver since the Eagles took Jeremy Maclin 16 years ago. Burden has a lot of Maclin in him with his knack for beating corners off the line of scrimmage and the smoothness with which he makes difficult catches. Burden had a big 86-1,212-9 season in 2023 and his numbers plunged this past year, which was more a product of Missouri’s quarterback play than anything he was doing wrong.
29. Commanders: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina: Washington moves to replace Jeremy Chinn with a player who is built in the Chinn mold with his athleticism, versatility and toughness. Emmanwori was a three-year starter at South Carolina and showed great improvement this past year, with four interceptions, including two he returned for touchdowns, along with 88 tackles, three tackles for loss and a couple pass deflections. He has unique size at 6-3, 220 pounds and he has a good knack for using that size to his advantage in coverage. The one knock on Emmanwori is that sometimes is too reliant on his physical gifts and that allows critics to question his effort. But he has all the traits to be a top NFL safety.
30. Bills: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan: A less than impressive pro day after he missed the combine could very well drop Grant down in the end of the first round, but he looks like a very good fit for a Bills defense that was surprisingly soft against the run last year. The Bills finished 19th in the NFL allowing 4.5 yards per carry and if there’s one thing Sean McDermott learned from Jim Johnson it’s that you have to be physically tough up the middle. Grant played three years at Michigan and was a two-year starter, including 2023 playing under Jim Harbaugh on the national championship team. Grant, 6-4, 330, offers some positional versatility and growing skill rushing the quarterback along with stout run defense. Grant never quite put everything together in college, and his inconsistency is why he most likely won’t get picked until the end of the first round if not on Day 2. But in the right culture with the right coaching, he could develop into a star.
31. Chiefs: Josh Conerly, OT, Oregon: Did you happen to watch the Super Bowl? One of the biggest reasons the Eagles were able to dominate the Chiefs is the insane pressure they applied on Patrick Mahomes, and as gifted as Mahomes is, under siege like that, he had no shot. The Chiefs’ o-line had no chance against the Eagles’ pass rush, and the Chiefs could very well try to find some answers when they pick at 31. After losing guard and emergency left tackle Joe to the Bears, the Chiefs signed Jaylon Moore, but who knows if he’s a legit answer. In the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Conerly, the Chiefs get a solid, consistent offensive lineman with positional versatility who only allowed one sack last year. What you really like about Conerly is how much better he got as his college career progressed, especially last year. If there were any questions about Conerly, they were answered in the Big Ten Championship Game, when Conerly effectively neutralized Abdul Carter in Oregon’s win over Penn State at Lucas Oil Stadium.
32. Eagles: Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi: From Corey Simon in 2000 to Mike Patterson in 2005 to Brodrick Bunkley in 2006 to Fletcher Cox in 2012 to Jordan Davis in 2022 to Jalen Carter in 2023, the Eagles have always loved to draft interior linemen in the first round, even long before Howie Roseman got here. It’s a position that’s gained steam around the league in recent years – Milton Williams’ contract is proof of that – and a position everybody in the organization from Jeff Lurie down to Roseman, Nick Sirianni and Vic Fangio all believe is pivotal. If the Eagles do pick at 32 – which I still think is less than a 50 percent proposition – Nolen is one guy who would make sense. High-effort three-down lineman who is super twitched up and explosive. Nolen stands 6-4, 300, so a pretty similar frame to Williams, who signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the Patriots. He could come in and do the same things Williams did. Stuff the run, get occasional pressure on the quarterback and get penetration when Carter gets doubled teamed.
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